Liquid soap dispenser



Jan. 8, 1963 J. LIPPMAN ETAL LIQUID SOAP DISPENSER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 23, 1961 INVENTORF Jerome L' ppmavz8 Chester K Trecsh Jan. 8, 1963 J. LIPPMAN ETAL LIQUID SOAP DISPENSER w n HP: l l w I I w lk o a I Filed Feb. 23, 1961 United States Patent Ofiiice BflIZJR? Fatented Jan. 8, 1$fi3 3,072,297 LIQUED SOAP DISPENSER Jerome Eippman, Akron, and Chester V. Treesh, Mogadore, @hio; said Treesh assignor to said Lippman Filed Feb. 23, 1961, Ser. No. 91,084 6 Ciaims. (El. 222-481) This invention relates to a liquid soap or like dispenser, and in particular relates to improved valving means for dispensing liquid soap.

Heretofore, in the use of dispensers for pressurized liquid soap, difliculty has been encountered in providing valving means which would not leak to a certain extent after use for dispensing measured amounts of the soap into the hand. That is, there was a tendency for the soap to bleed out and form an unsightly accumulation of the same beneath the valve extrusion orifice.

One object of the present invention is to provide an improved valving means for soap or like dispensers wherein is eliminated any tendency for the soap to leak or otherwise drip from the valve extrusion orifice when the valve means is in closed or inoperative condition.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved dispenser of the character described which will dispense uniformly measured amounts of the dispensed material.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a soap or like material dispenser valve which will extrude the material in tubular form.

These and other objects of the invention will be manifest from the following brief description and the accompanying drawings.

The present invention is for an improvement in soap dispensers of the type described in prior Patent No. Re. 24,312, dated May 7, 1957.

Of the accompanying drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical cross-section through a liquid soap dispenser having incorporated therein improved valving means embodying the features of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a horizontal cross-section taken substantially on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1, on the same scale, but with portions, including the soap container, removed and with the soap removed from the base of the dispenser.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-section of the valving means for the dispenser, in closed condition.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-section taken substantially on the line 44 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a view corresponding to FIGURE 3, but illustrating the valving means in open condition for dispensing the material in tubular form.

Referring to thet drawings, generally, there is illustrated a soap dispensing machine embodying the improved valving means of the invention, wherein the numeral designates a cylindrical container of paste or liquid hand soap S, having one open end clamped in fluid-sealing relation against a gasket 11 in an annular recessed seat portion 12 in a hollow base 1-3. The base is adapted to be removably secured to'a wall or other structure to support the container It in upright position, as by attaching means 14.

For removably clamping the container 10 to the hollow base 13, a rigid shaft 15 is threaded at its lower end into a boss I6 in the bottom of the base to extend upwardly, and a neck portion 17 of a turning member I3 is threaded onto the upper end of shaft 15. The neck portion 17 is rotatably received through a central aperture 19 is a closure cap 20 having a recessed annular seat 21 in which the upper end of container 10 is seated. Clamping pressure is applied to the container by manually turning a nut 22, received on a threaded portion 23 of turning member 18, against the outer side of the cap. Member 18 is retained on the cap by a spring collar 24 embracing a grooved portion 25 of neck 17, inwardly of the cap. A rod 26 on a nut 22 facilitates application of requisite clamping pressure as described.

Valving means 28 is provided for extruding predetermined amounts of soap S from container I0, through an extrusion orifice 29, onto the hand of a user of the dispenser, in synchronisrn with manual operation of a control mechanism 30 applying pressure to a piston 31 slidably received in the container 10 (see FIGURES 1 and 2).

The valving means 28, as best illustrated in FIGURES 3, 4 and 5, may include a ring 32, rotatably retained in an annular seat 33 in the hollow base 13, by means of spaced clips 34, 34. Ring 32 may have thereon an integral closure plate or lug 35, which extends angularly upward to have a radially outwardly presented face as thereof normally in engagement with an annular inner end 37 of a plunger 38, which is axially slidably received in a passage 39 in the wall of the base 13. Passage 39 extends to the extrusion orifice 29, which is provided in a cap id threaded in an extrusion nozzle 42, which is an integral extension of the base 13. The orifice 29 in the cap 4%] defines an inwardly presented chamfered annular seat 43, against which a chamfered annular seat 44 on the outer end of the plunger 38 is normally completely seated in closed fluid-sealing relationship, by a closure plate 35 urging the plunger outwardly against the action of a compression spring 4-5 extended between an annular shoulder 46 surrounding the seat 43 of the cap and a stop rib 47 integrally formed on the plunger. Accordingly, the space in which the spring is received constitutes an annular chamber 48 surrounding the outer end of the plunger, and communicating with the extrusion orifice 29 when the plunger is in retracted or open position, as shown in FIGURE 5. The plunger 38 may have an opening n extending from the inner end thereof to a point short of the outer end of the same, and this opening communicates with the annular chamber 48, through suitable apertures 50, Ed in the peripheral wall of the plunger. In other words, a double fluid-seal is provided, one seal being at the inner end of the plunger, preventing movement of pressurized soap from the container into the opening 45 and chamber 48 (see FIGURE 3), and the other seal preventing leakage of soap through the outlet orifice 29, from chamber 48 (see FIGURE 3).

Accordingly, the ring 32 is rotatable a fraction of a revolution to move the valve closure plate 35 out of yielding seating relation with the inner seat portion 37 of the plunger 38, from the full line position thereof to the chaindotted line position of the same, as shown in FIGURE 2, as limited by engagement of the leading edge of the closure plate with a stop' rib 52 circumferentially adjustably secured in the base. The trailing edge of the closure plate 35 is chamfered, as indicated at 53 in FIGURE 2, to facilitate smooth return of the plate to seating engage ment with the annular seat 37 of the plunger.

Referring to FIGURE 2, the ring 32 is yieldingly turned a said partial revolution by turning the handle 54, as described above, through a spring-wound control mechanism 31' of type shown in said Patent No. Re. 24,312 including a suitable clutching device 55, which moves a pin 56 engaged between spaced shoulder portions 57, 57 on the ring 32. The arrangement is such that by swinging the handle forwardly approximately degrees to the left, as indicated in full and chain-dotted lines in FIGURE 2, the ring 32 is turned in clock-wise direction to said stop position in which the valving means is fully open, whereby pressure simultaneously applied to the fluid soap S in the container forces a predetermined amount of the soap outwardly through the plunger opening 49, the orifices 5% in the plunger, the annular chamber 48, and the extrusion orifice 2%, into the hand of the user as a tubular length S1 (see FIGURE 5). Release of the handle 54 to stop or valve opened position allows the spring-wound control mechanism to swing back the handle to the normal full-line position shown in FIG- URE 2, and likewise the return ring 32 to its normal valve-closed position, best shown in FIGURE 3, in which the pin 56, by engagement with the ring 32, prevents further spring-wound operation of the control mechanism 3t). In other words, the pin 56 acts as an effective stop for the normal valve-closed position of the valve ring 32 and associated movable parts, and in which the reseated plunger cuts off the extruded tubular length S1 of soap.

For applying predetermined pressure to the post S simultaneously with the opening of the valving plunger 38, the piston 31 is threaded on a sleeve 58 rotatably received on the fixed shaft 15, and retained against axial movement by the upper end of the sleeve engaging between the inner end of neck portion 17 of turning member 18 (see FIGURE 1) and the opposite end of a bevel gear of the control mechanism 3t said bevel gear being secured to the corresponding end of sleeve 53 and being in engagement with the inner end of the boss 16. Thus, the turning member '18 serves a double purpose, namely for retaining the sleeve against axial movement on the shaft 15, and for applying clamping pressure to the container through the cap 20. It is inherent within the structure of the dispenser, however, that even if cap 20 is omitted the pressure forces set up in the paste body S are suflicient to hold the container firmly against the seat portion 12. Rotation of the sleeve 53 is accompiished by rotation of the bevel gear 59, as described above. The arrangement is such that by turning the handle 54 the sleeve 58 is turned approximately of a revolution, and because the piston 31 is held against rotation by engagement of the same with the top of the paste body S, the piston is moved downwardly a predetermined distance sufficient to force a predetermined quantity of the paste through the extrusion orifice 29.

A portion of a lower end of the sleeve 53 is unthreaded to receive the piston 31 freely at the end of its stroke, thereby to prevent continued operation of the screw upon the piston which would otherwise damage the dispenser.

To assure that downward pressure on the paste body S will prevent rotation of the piston 31 on the threaded upper portion of sleeve 58, the piston is made cup-shaped and is provided with circumferentially spaced radial ribs 60 on the underside thereof, adapted to be embedded in the paste, as shown in FIGURE 1.

In the use of the improved dispenser to dispense pastetype hand soap S from the container it thereof, clamped on the base 13, an operator standing in front of the dispenser, with one hand, turns the handle 54 to a positive stop, one quarter turn downwardly, while cupping the other hand under the extrusion orifice 29, and then immediately releases the handle to return it to the positive stop position in the other direction. The aforesaid mo ientary forward movement of the handle is effective to rotate the ring 32 to the open position thereof in which the valve closure plate 35 is out of sealing engagement with the inner seat portion 37 of the plunger 38, which allows spring 45 to urge the plunger inwardly and thereby release the outer end of the plunger from the seat 43 to open the extrusion orifice 29 outward passage of pressurized soap from the container. Simultaneously with said momentary opening of the valve mechanism, as described, the control mechanism 30 is actuated to urge the piston 31 downwardly against the paste to a sufficient degree to control the amount of soap S extruded into the cupped hand (see FIGURE 5). Conversely the spring-wound return movement of the handle 54 and control mechanism 30 is effective to return the ring 32 to closed position in which the closure plate 35 urges the plunger 38 to the corresponding closed position thereof in which the aforementioned double sealing action is accomplished to prevent leakage of soap through the extrusion orifice from the chamber 48.

In forward or dispensing operation of the dispenser, the sleeve 58 is turned in pressure-applying direction only, and hence, repeated operation of the dispenser is eflfective to move the piston 31 steadily downward until it reaches the unthreaded portion of the sleeve.

When the container is empty, it is only necessary to remove the cap 2!} and piston 31 for replacing the empty container with a full one from which the end walls or covers have been removed (see FIGURE 1), after which the piston is remounted on the sleeve and the cover 20 is clamped against the upper end of the full container, as previously described.

Modifications of the invention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A soap or like fluid dispenser, comprising supporting means for a supply of fluid under pressure, said supporting means having a wall portion provided with a passage outwardly therethrough terminating in an extrusion orifice encompassed by an axially inwardly presented peripheral seat, a plunger axially reciprocably received in said passage and having axially outwardly presented seat means thereon adapted to be in positive engagement with said peripheral seat to close the orifice against outward passage of fluid, and means for reciprocating said plunger from and toward said positive seated position of the seat means thereof closing said orifice, said wall portion having a chamber therein communicating with said orifice, said plunger having opening means therein for passage of said pressurized fluid to said chamber and outwardly through said orifice when said plunger is moved to the open position of the same by said means for reciprocating.

2. A soap or like fluid dispenser, comprising supporting means for a supply of fluid under pressure, said supporting means having a Wall portion provided with a passage outwardly therethrough terminating in an extrusion orifice encompassed by a peripheral seat which is inwardly presented with respect to an axis of the passage, a plunger axially reciprocably received in said passage and having axially outwardly presented seat means on the outer end thereof defining a closure portion adapted to be in positive engagement with said peripheral seat to close the orifice against outward passage of fluid, and means for yieldingly reciprocating said plunger from and toward said positive seated position of the seat means thereof closing said orifice, said wall portion having a chamber therein communicating with said orifice, said plunger having opening means therein for passage of said pressurized fiuid to said chamber and outwardly through said orifice when said plunger is moved to the open position of the same by said means for reciprocating.

3. A soap or like fluid dispenser, comprising supporting means for a supply of the fluid under pressure, said supporting means having a wall portion provided with a passage outwardly therethrough terminating in an extrusion orifice encompassed by an axially inwardly presented seat, a plunger axially reciprocably received in said passage, said plunger having axially opposed inner and outer seat means at inner and outer ends thereof, respectively, said outer seat means of the plunger being adapted to be in positive engagement with said inwardly presented seat to close the orifice against outward passage of fluid, means for yieldingly reciprocating said plunger from and toward said positive seated position thereof closing said orifice, said wall portion having a chamber therein communicating with said orifice, said plunger having opening means therein for outward passage of said pressurized material to said chamber and outwardly through said orifice when said plunger is moved to the open position by said means for reciprocating,

said means for reciprocating including a closure member normally engaging against said inner seat of the plunger and also normally yieldingly retaining the plunger in said position thereof closing said orifice.

4. A soap or like fluid dispenser, comprising supporting means for a supply of the fluid under pressure, said supporting means including a wall portion having an outlet passage for the fluid and terminating in an outer extrusion orifice, an outer seat presented axially inwardly of said orifice, a plunger having seat means on a closed outer end thereof, said plunger being axially shiftable in said passage from and toward a closed position for positive seating engagement of the seat means with said outer seat to close said orifice against outward passage of the fluid, said passage having a portion defining a chamber communicating with said extrusion orifice in said open position of the plunger, said plunger having an opening therethrough from the inner end thereof to said chamber for outward passage of the pressurized fluid to said chamber and extrusion orifice, and selectively operable means normally yieldingly urging said plunger axially outwardly into said closed position of seating engagement of the plunger with said outer seat and also including a closure for normally closing said inner end of the opening against outward passage of the pressurized fluid to said chamber.

5. A soap or like fluid dispenser, comprising supporting means for a supply of the fluid under pressure, said supporting means including a wall portion having an outlet passage for the fluid and terminating in an outer extrusion orifice encompassed by an outer seat which is inwardly presented with respect to an axis of said passage, a plunger having seat means on a closed outer end thereof, said plunger being axially yieldingly shiftable in said passage from and toward a closed position for positive seating engagement of the seat means with said outer seat to close said orifice against outward passage of the fluid, said passage having a portion defining a chamber communicating with said extrusion orifice in said open position of the plunger, said plunger having an opening therethrough from the inner end thereof to said chamber for outward passage of the pressurized fluid to said chamber and extrusion orifice, and selectively operable means carried by said support including a shiftable member having a closure extension normally yieldingly engaging the inner end of said plunger to retain the same in said closed position thereof and also closing said inner end against outward passage of the pressurized fluid to said chamber, said predetermined shifting movement of said member being adapted to release the plunger to said open position thereof for dispensing a predetermined quantity of the fluid outwardly through the extrusion orifice.

6. A soap or like fluid dispenser, comprising supporting means for a supply of fluid under pressure, said supporting means including a wall portion having an outlet passage for the fluid and terminating in an outer extrusion orifice encompassed by an outer seat which is inwardly presented with respect to an axis of said passage, a plunger having seat means on a closed outer end thereof, said plunger being shiftable in said passage from and toward a closed position for positive seating engagement of the seat means with said outer seat to close said orifice against outward passage of the fluid, said passage having a portion defining a chamber communicating with said extrusion orifice in said open position of the plunger, said plunger having an opening therethrough from the inner end thereof to said chamber for outward passage of the pressurized fluid to said chamber and extrusion orifice, and selectively operable means including a rotatably mounted member having a closure extension normally engaging the inner end of said plunger yieldingly to retain the same in said closed position thereof and also closing said inner end against outward passage of the pressurized fluid to said chamber, predetermined rotational movement of said rotationally mounted member being adapted to release the plunger to said open posit-ion thereof for dispensing a predetermined quantity of the fluid outwardly through the extrusion orifice.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 999,602 Slee Aug. 1, 1911 1,718,888 Bennett June 25, 1929 2,700,490 Lippman et a1 Jan. 25, 1955 

1. A SOAP OR LIKE FLUID DISPENSER, COMPRISING SUPPORTING MEANS FOR A SUPPLY OF FLUID UNDER PRESSURE, SAID SUPPORTING MEANS HAVING A WALL PORTION PROVIDED WITH A PASSAGE OUTWARDLY THERETHROUGH TERMINATING IN AN EXTRUSION ORIFICE ENCOMPASSED BY AN AXIALLY INWARDLY PRESENTED PERIPHERAL SEAT, A PLUNGER AXIALLY RECIPROCABLY RECEIVED IN SAID PASSAGE AND HAVING AXIALLY OUTWARDLY PRESENTED SEAT MEANS THEREON ADAPTED TO BE IN POSITIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID PERIPHERAL SEAT TO CLOSE THE ORIFICE AGAINST OUTWARD PASSAGE OF FLUID, AND MEANS FOR RECIPROCATING SAID PLUNGER FROM AND TOWARD SAID POSITIVE SEATED POSITION OF THE SEAT MEANS THEREOF CLOSING SAID ORIFICE, SAID WALL PORTION HAVING A CHAMBER THEREIN COMMUNICATING WITH SAID ORIFICE, SAID PLUNGER HAVING OPENING MEANS THEREIN FOR PASSAGE OF SAID PRESSURIZED FLUID TO SAID CHAMBER AND OUTWARDLY THROUGH SAID ORIFICE WHEN SAID PLUNGER IS MOVED TO THE OPEN POSITION OF THE SAME BY SAID MEANS FOR RECIPROCATING. 